Self-adjusting socket wrench



March 24, 1953 J. c. ALPERS' SELF-ADJUSTING SOCKET WRENCH Filed Dec; 18, 1950 Fig.2

John C. A/Pers INVENTOR,

w v f'im of the band or strap I i.

Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNITED STA$ YET GFFICE SELF-ADJUSTING SOCKET WRENCH John O. Alpers, Corder, Mo.

Application December 18, 1950, Serial No. 201,301

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to new and ful improvements in socket wrenches and more particularly to the provision of self-adjustin internal jaws in the wrench whereby the gripping action of the wrench upon a hit will be increased as the wrench is turned in either direction.

An important object of the invention is to provide a wrench of this character having a plurality of internal self-adjusting jaws with means connecting the jaws to each other for uniform adjustment movements.

Another object is to provide internal self-adjusting jaws for the wrench which may be easily and quickly removed. and replaced when the same become Worn.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in operation, strong and durable, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 3'3 of Figure 2; and,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the jaws.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates the shell of the socket wrench and which is of substantially dome shape with a flat base 6 formed with a hexagonal recess 1.

A plurality of circumferential slots 8 are formed in the sides of the shell to receive screws 9 for limited circumferential movement. The screws pass freely through the slots 8 and are threaded into the back of substantially V-shaped jaws 6 at their central portions and with the backs of the wings H and l2 of the jaws disposed at an angle with respect to each other coinciding with the angles of adjacent sides of the hexagonal recess l. The front faces of the jaws iii are formed with teeth l3 and the edges of adjacent jaws are spaced from each other to permit limited movement toward and away from each other.

A spring steel stra Id surrounds the shell 5 and is formed with undulations l5 and in which the screws 9 are threaded with the heads iii of the screws bearing against one of the undulations One of these screws connects the overlapping ends of the bands together as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

In the operation of the device the spring band I 4 holds the screws 9 centrally in their slot 8 and with the rear surfaces of the jaws in bearing against adjacent angular sides of the hexagonal recess I'.

When the wrenchis placed on a nut and turned by means of a square shank l1 detachably connected to the back of the shell 5 the teeth I3 of the jaws it; will grip the nut and cause the jaws to slide circumferentially along the fiat sides of the hexagonal recess 1 to thus contract the jaws about the nut into close fitting and tight gripping engagement therewith.

The band Hi connects the jaws to each other by means of the screws 9 so that the jaws are contracted uniformly and the band returns the jaws to their original position with the screw centered in the slots 8 when the turning pressure subjected to the wrench is released.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A socket wrench comprising a body having a polygonal recess in one end and formed with a plurality of circumferential slots in its sides at the junction of two adjoining angularly disposed sides of the recess, a plurality of V-shaped jaws in the recess in bridging relation with respect to the slots and having teeth on their front faces and inclined at their rear surfaces coinciding with the angle of two adjoining sides of the recess and in circumferential sliding contact with said sides, a resilient undulated band surrounding the body and rigid fastening means connecting the band to the center of the jaws, and positioned in the slots radially of the body for circumferential movement therein to contract the jaws on a nut engaged thereby upon a turning movement of the body.

JOHN C. ALPERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 286,842 Pittman Oct. 16, 1883 810,804 Remion Jan. 16, 1906 1,109,766 Landon Sept. 8, 1914 1,315,3li Krupp Sept. 9, 1919 1,902,216 Buttress Mar. 21, 1933 1,921,281 Carlson Aug. 8, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,077 Great Britain 1864 288,152 Germany Oct. 21, 1915 

